The group of teenagers were only banned from owning animals for five years - and Mrs Berry thinks they should be banned for life after what they did.

The petition asks that: “Anyone who abuses animals, regardless of their age, be placed on an Animal Cruelty Register which would follow them for life. In some states in the US they already have animal abuse registries.”

On Wednesday, a recovered Chunky and his owners handed the petition box containing all the signatures to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) in a bid to change the law.

His owner, Bonnie-Lee Fittal told BuzzFeed she was “amazed” when she saw the “Justice For Chunky” campaign and got in contact with Berry.

A Defra spokesperson told BuzzFeed: “We are a nation of animal lovers with the highest welfare standards in the world and anyone who owns or keeps animals is responsible for their welfare.

Credit:
Maxine Berry/Facebook

“Under the Animal Welfare Act anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare needs, may be banned from owning them in future, given an unlimited fine and face a prison sentence. Cruelty to pets is completely abhorrent and it is right we have tough penalties in place for the perpetrators of these offences.”